[Boksburg, Johannesburg – 18 August 2021] South Africa-focused platinum developer, Nkwe Platinum, and the Zijin Mining Group, a multinational mining group, has partnered with Sany Southern Africa, a world-leading construction & mining equipment manufacturer and supplier, to provide an entry-level excavator training programme for six women from its mining communities.
During the week-long programme, the women will learn the basic components and structure of excavators and will also physically learn how to operate basic movements on the machines.
“Nkwe Platinum and the Zijin Mining Group believes that the inclusion of women in the mining sector contributes significantly to its communities’ sustainable development and long-term economic growth. We recognise the potential that women can unlock for successful mining operations and understand that their skills development forms a vital foundation for a more productive community,” Says Mr. Zhiyu Fan, Managing Director and CEO of Nkwe Platinum Limited.
“We are pleased to embark on this training programme in partnership with Nkwe Platinum and the Zijin Mining Group.” Says Samuel Zhang, General Manager of Sany Southern Africa.
“Women are dramatically under-represented in the mining industry. We hope that by empowering women with top quality excavator operations skills and training with state-of-the-art equipment will give women a more competitive edge to advance in this sector,” Adds Zhang.
Nkwe Platinum Limited is the 74% undivided shareholder of the Mining Right in respect of the Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine, which is situated on the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex, in Limpopo Province of South Africa. The mining company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Zijin Mining Group.
The processing capacity of Garatau is anticipated to average 3.6 million tonnes of ore per annum, once full capacity is achieved in a few years’ time. The life of mine is estimated to be in excess of 29 years and once fully operational will employ some 2500 people.
Mining operations at Garatau have commenced with the construction of the box-cut, which will make way for the decline shaft development towards the end of this year.
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About The Zijin Mining Group
The Zijin Mining Group is a multinational mining group principally engaged in the prospecting, exploration and mining of gold, copper and other mineral resources. The company owns significant mining investment projects in 14 provinces in China and in 11 countries globally, including large production mines such as the Fujian Zijinshan Gold and Copper Mine; the Heilongjiang Duobaoshan Copper Mine; the Porgera Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea, the Kolwezi Copper and Cobalt Mine in the DRC, the Bor Copper Mine in Serbia and the Buriticá Gold Mine in Colombia. The company initiated the project management model of “integrating five ore treatment processes into one” and is one of the few multinational mining companies that have self-initiated technology and engineering management capabilities. In 2020, it achieved an operating income of USD 26.6 billion with total profits of USD 1.7 billion and total assets of USD 28.3 billion, ranking it No. 1 among the Chinese non-ferrous metal and gold companies, No. 3 global gold companies, and No. 7 global non-ferrous metal companies within the top 2000 “Forbes” Global Listed Companies. The Zijin Mining Group also ranked 77th among the “Top 500 Chinese Companies” by Fortune in 2020.
About Sany Southern Africa
Sany Southern Africa is a subsidiary of Sany Group, a leading manufacturer of construction, mining and port machinery with over 20 Research and Development (R&D) centres and manufacturing bases all over the world. The Sany 750t and 630t crawler cranes stood out from competitors and were chosen to tackle the most critical hoisting work of the Kusile Power Station Project. Nearly 200 units of Sany port equipment are being utilised at the seaports and depots across South Africa, out of which 70 units are servicing Transnet. A perfect epitome of the client’s recognition of the quality of Sany products and service. Besides those, 500 units of Sany excavators, loaders, graders and dumper trucks are active at work across the construction and mining industries. The 300 diligent employees from the 12 branches of Sany’s three dealers (Goscor, Gijima, and Saxeni) in South Africa ensure that all Sany customers are supported in a timely and professional manner. Sany Southern Africa strives to be the most trusted one-stop-shop supplier by providing wide range of products at affordable price in flexible business modes, including rental.